Chicken noodle bites

ABSTRACT

A snack food incorporating various ingredients of chicken noodle soup is described. The processing of a chicken noodle soup mixture begins with three separate batch operations (e.g., pasta, chicken/vegetable filling, and broth) that are completed before moving to a continuous forming process, such as a triple cold forming extrusion operation. Extrusion typically begins with a machine kneading and then forming a pasta shell under high pressure through a custom die. Concurrently, the chicken/vegetable filling and broth move through the extruder in separate streams allowing for two distinct fillings one inside the other (e.g., broth inside chicken), filling approximately 75% of the pasta shell&#39;s volume allowing room for closing. The product is simultaneously cut and sealed at a suitable length.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The instant application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/952,470, filed Jul. 27, 2007, the entirespecification of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The subject invention generally relates to foodstuffs, and morespecifically to a snack food incorporating various ingredients ofchicken noodle soup.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Chicken noodle soup has been a popular appetizer and/or meal for severaldecades and has been touted as a folk remedy for various ailments,including the common cold. Over the years, unhealthy snacking, asopposed to eating healthy snacks and/or meals such as chicken noodlesoup, has become a way of life for the average consumer. Unfortunately,this has translated to increasingly abundant ingestion of salty, highfat, and over-processed foods, especially snack foods, which are notespecially healthy and which can lead to weight gain, high bloodpressure, and coronary artery disease. A primary excuse for these pooreating habits is that it is too much trouble to prepare healthy mealsand/or that conventional unhealthy snack foods are more convenient ortaste better than healthy snack foods, especially with respect tochildren's preferences.

Accordingly, there exists a need for a new and improved snack food thatovercomes at least one of the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the general teachings of the present invention, newand improved snack foods are provided which are based primarily on theingredients commonly found in chicken noodle soup, and have been formedinto bite-size “chicken noodle bites.”

More specifically, the chicken noodle bites fill the need for hearty,kid-friendly, microwavable frozen snacks targeted at children aged 7-18by focusing on the classic and favorite flavor of chicken noodle soup,making it unique and convenient while meeting the demands of parents forsensible, nutritious snacking options for their children. The chickennoodle bites provide a healthy, convenient, appealing snack option tokids, which are also delicious and microwavable.

Through advanced processing technology and careful ingredientformulation, a microwaveable snack has been designed that combines allof the textures of chicken noodle soup. For example, a pasta shellshaped like a soup can is stuffed with a ground chicken and vegetablemixture. Inside of this filling resides an amount of a thick, flavorfulbroth or broth-like material (e.g., soup, potage, gumbo, consommé,bouillabaisse, bisque, chowder and/or the like). The chicken noodlebites utilize lean ground chicken, fresh vegetables, nutritious thickbroth, and whole grain pasta to yield an optimized nutritional profileof high fiber and protein, low fat, and supplemented with Omega-3 fattyacids; all accomplished with no sacrifice of flavor or appeal. Thisunique product can be conveniently packaged individually in disposablemicrowavable trays of several piece servings. It should be appreciatedthat various meats (e.g., beef, pork, lamb, and/or the like), poultry(e.g., turkey, goose, duck, and/or the like), fish, seafood (e.g.,shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, mussels, clams, and/or the like), orother protein sources (e.g., soy, bean curd, and/or the like) can besubstituted for the chicken ingredient. Additionally, the vegetableand/or broth ingredients can be varied to appeal to different consumertaste preferences.

In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, amicrowavable foodstuff is provided, comprising: (1) a pasta shell havingat least one open end; (2) a mixture of a high protein foodstuff andvegetable foodstuff disposed through the at least one open end within aninterior space of the pasta shell; and (3) a broth foodstuff disposedthrough the at least one open end within and substantially enveloped bythe mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff.

In accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention, amicrowavable foodstuff is provided, comprising: (1) a pasta shell havingat least one open end; (2) a mixture of a high protein foodstuff andvegetable foodstuff disposed through the at least one open end within aninterior space of the pasta shell; (3) a broth foodstuff disposedthrough the at least one open end within and substantially enveloped bythe mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff; and(4) a hydrocolloid incorporated into any of the mixture of a highprotein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff or the broth foodstuff.

In accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention, amicrowavable foodstuff is provided, comprising: (1) a pasta shell havingat least one open end; (2) a mixture of a high protein foodstuff andvegetable foodstuff disposed through the at least one open end within aninterior space of the pasta shell, wherein the high protein foodstuffcomprises a material selected from the group consisting of beef, pork,lamb, chicken, turkey, goose, duck, fish, shrimp, crab, lobster,oysters, mussels, clams, soy, bean curd, and combinations thereof,wherein the vegetable foodstuff comprises a material selected from thegroup consisting of celery, carrot, onion, and combinations thereof; (3)a broth foodstuff disposed through the at least one open end within andsubstantially enveloped by the mixture of the high protein foodstuff andvegetable foodstuff, wherein the broth foodstuff comprises a materialselected from the group consisting of broth, soup, potage, gumbo,consommé, bouillabaisse, bisque, chowder, and combinations thereof; and(4) a hydrocolloid incorporated into any of the mixture of a highprotein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff or the broth foodstuff,wherein the hydrocolloid comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of agar, alginate, arabinoxylan, carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose, curdian, gelatin, gellan, β-glucan, guar gum, gumarabic, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, locust bean gum, pectin, starch,xanthan gum, and combinations thereof.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposed of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of an exemplary preparation methodfor manufacturing a snack food in accordance with the general teachingsof the present invention; and

FIG. 2 illustrates a perspective view of several pieces of a snack foodproduced in accordance with the general teachings of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, oruses.

By way of a non-limiting example, and referring to FIG. 1, theprocessing of a chicken noodle soup mixture begins with three separatebatch operations (e.g., pasta (e.g., a flour, water and/or egg baseddough food product), chicken/vegetable filling, and broth) that shouldbe completed before moving to a forming process, e.g., such as but notlimited to a continuous triple cold forming extrusion operation.

As that term is used herein, “pasta,” shall be considered to besynonymous to any flour, water and/or egg based dough food product.

As that phrase is used herein, “chicken/vegetable filling,” shall beconsidered to be synonymous to any mixture of any relatively highprotein foodstuff and any vegetable foodstuff.

As that phrase is used herein, “relatively high protein foodstuff,”shall be considered to be synonymous to any meats (e.g., beef, pork,lamb, and/or the like), poultry (e.g., turkey, goose, duck, and/or thelike), fish, seafood (e.g., shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, mussels,clams, and/or the like), or other protein sources (e.g., soy, bean curd,and/or the like).

As that phrase is used herein, “vegetable foodstuff,” shall beconsidered to be synonymous to any vegetable including but not limitedto celery, carrot, onion, and/or the like.

As that term is used herein, the term “broth,” shall be considered to besynonymous to any relatively thick and/or flavorful broth-like material,including but not limited to a soup, potage, gumbo, consommé,bouillabaisse, bisque, chowder and/or the like.

With respect to the pasta preparation, suitable dry ingredients 10 aremetered and added to a ribbon mixer 12 or other suitable device tohomogenize, and then water, preferably filtered or purified water, isincorporated therein. The finished dough is moved via a transportdevice, e.g., a trolley, and deposited in a forming device, e.g., anextrusion feed tank 14.

In accordance with a non-limiting example, making a consistent, highquality, extrudable pasta dough is important to the process.Consistently sized flour particles should be evenly hydrated by abalanced amount of water to develop a continuous gluten network in thedough. A specified blend of flour or flour-related products, e.g., durumsemolina, whole wheat flour, and vital wheat gluten, is delivered, e.g.,via truck, and deposited in a suitably large receptacle, e.g., an indoorsilo. Emptying of the silo is achieved, e.g., pneumatically, via aspiral feeder to a conical style vertical screw blender whereupon theremaining dry ingredients (e.g., salt, crumb softener, and dried eggwhite), are manually added to the blender and mixing is completed in anappropriate time, e.g., 5 minutes. The contents are deposited directlybelow into the weigh hopper of a loss-in-weight feeder which feeds acontrolled amount of flour and approximately 40 degree Celsius waterinto a high speed mixer. Both feeds are controlled by computer toprovide a consistent ratio of water and flour to yield a flowing, wettedflour mixture at approximately 31% moisture content. This loose, wet mixnow enters a vacuum screw, where air is removed from the dough toprotect against color degradation from enzymatic activity and oxidativedecomposition. This feeds directly into a co-rotating screw extruder,which intermixes and kneads the dough to create a protein framework. Inthe final zone, the screw flights narrow to generate enough pressure onthe dough to press it through the die. The barrel is jacketed withcooling water to eliminate heat generated in pressurization; this keepsthe dough below approximately 55 degrees Celsius (where the proteinsbegin to irreversibly denature).

With respect to the chicken/vegetable filling preparation 16, thawedchicken (e.g., 60% breast/40% thigh) is ground with cleaned freshvegetables (e.g., celery, carrot, onion, and/or the like) in a 2:1 ratiothrough a twin-screw grinder 18 or other suitable device. The groundmixture is then collected in a tank and deposited to the ribbon mixer 20wherein modified food starch, seasonings, and/or the like areincorporated. The finished mixture is then transported via portablebatch tank to its portion of the extrusion feed tank 14.

In accordance with a non-limiting example, skinned, boned, and trimmedto specification chicken breast and thigh meat is received frozen. Afterovernight thawing under refrigeration, the meat is manually transferredwith specified cleaned and sized fresh vegetables (e.g., celery, carrot,onion, and/or the like), to a twin-screw grinder in an approximately 4.4degree Celsius cold room. The ground mixture is collected in a tank anddeposited to a ribbon mixer where modified food starch and seasoningsare manually added. The finished batter is tipped to a portable batchtank, which is manually transported to the extrusion feed hopper. Avacuum is applied to remove air from the meat filling for consistentfill-out weight and minimization of lipid oxidation and bacterialaction. Finally, it is fed with a positive displacement pump into thetriple extrusion die.

With respect to broth preparation 22, suitable dry ingredients aremetered and dispersed into a mixing tank 24 at predetermined amounts formixture with filtered water, under constant agitation by a liquefier.This process maintains proper particle distribution and minimizes anyclumping or settling of dry ingredients. The thick broth is now pumped(e.g., via centrifugal pump) to its portion of the feed tank 14 forextrusion.

In accordance with a non-limiting example, dry ingredients arethoroughly mixed in a V-cone tumbling mixer, and then manually dispersedinto filtered water in a 50 gallon mixing tank equipped with ananchor-and-gate agitator. This process maintains proper particledistribution and minimizes any clumping or settling. Maximum shear isgenerated as viscosity greatly increases while a minimal amount of airis entrained. The thick broth is now pumped through a screen via alobe-type positive displacement pump to the extruder feed tank. Thebroth is then metered through the die with a diaphragm peristaltic pump.

Extrusion begins with the machine kneading and then forming the pastashell under high pressure through a custom die 26 to a diameter ofapproximately 29.2 mm and a thickness of approximately 1.2 mm producingthe outer shell. Concurrently, the chicken/vegetable filling and brothmove through the extruder 28 in separate streams 30, 32, respectively,allowing for two distinct fillings one inside the other (e.g., brothinside chicken), filling approximately 75% of the pasta shell's volumeallowing room for closing. The product is simultaneously cut and sealed(e.g., by a cutting and sealing device 34) at a length of approximately40.1 mm. In accordance with a non-limiting example, after extrusion, theproduct is conveyed to a rotary blancher 36 (e.g., for boiling) that issealed to increase cooking speed and efficiency. As it leaves theblancher 36, pieces are subjected to an air knife that quickly removessurface water and effects significant cooling through evaporative heatloss.

An example of the chicken noodle bite product is shown in FIG. 2. Inthis view, several whole finished pieces 100 are shown, as well as twocut open pieces 102 a, 102 b, respectively, that show the relativepositions of the broth and meat/vegetable fillings 104, 106,respectively, with respect to one another, as well as the pasta shell108.

Through proper calibration and design, this system will consistentlyproduce chicken noodle bites containing approximately 5.7 g of pasta,12.5 g chicken/vegetable, and 3 ml of broth, with minimal waste.Referring again to FIG. 1, the cooking and cooling process will make useof rotary drum technology, cooking the product to a temperature ofapproximately 70° C. for approximately 2 minutes and rapidly cooling toapproximately 4° C. Individual pieces are allowed to drain to removesurface water, and then conveyed into an approximate −20° C. IQF spiralfreezer 38. An optional metal detector device 40 can be used to ensurethat no metal particles have accidentally been incorporated into thefoodstuffs. In an approximate 4° C. cold room, several (e.g., 5) pieceportions are placed into a preformed plastic coated paper board tray andenclosed in a LDPE sleeve before placing several (e.g., 4) additionalservings into the outer paperboard box, as part of a packaging step 42.Now ready for sale, these boxes are further packaged into corrugateddistribution boxes, palleted, and are moved to a frozen storage facility44 before the distribution step 46. Although this product can beproduced using triple feed cold form extrusion, there could be severalother manufacturing methods that could be used as well.

In accordance with a non-limiting example, sensing devices at the outletpoint of each stream can report to a computerized operating device,which continually adjusts the flow rates to coincide with each other aswell as with the cutting device immediately downstream of the die. AClean-In-Place (CIP) system allows for wet cleaning of the die, theextrusion screw, and the meat pumping system. This eliminates the needfor time-consuming dismantling of the line and removal of the screws.After the system is first flushed with washing water, it is flushed withdisinfecting solution to reduce the number of microorganisms. Afterfinal water flush, the discharge water is analyzed for presence ofmicroorganisms.

The present invention overcame several significant technologicalchallenges with respect to both the formulation and production of thechicken noodle bites, key among these was achieving and sustaining apalatable broth inside of the meat-vegetable filling. Cold-formingtriple extrusion, the solution to the first issue, balances threedistinct ingredient submixes. The two fillings will be pumped, oneinside of the other, inside of the pasta shell leaving just enough spaceto allow for pinching of the dough. Keeping the broth inside of, andseparate from, the ground chicken mixture was an equally challengingtask with potential for moisture migration. Using a combination ofhydrocolloids, a balance was found between increased viscosity andpalatability that could withstand the rigors of extrusion, cooking,freezing, freeze/thaw cycles, and the blowout potential of microwavereheating. Examples of hydrocolloids useful in the practice of thepresent invention include, without limitation, agar, alginate,arabinoxylan, carrageenan, carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose, curdian,gelatin, gellan, β-glucan, guar gum, gum arabic, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, locust bean gum, pectin, starch, xanthan gum, and/orthe like.

To formulate extrudable dough high in fiber and with the requisitetensile strength, a mix of whole durum was used, along with whitewhole-wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, dough conditioner, and powderedegg whites. White whole-wheat flour provides the added effect ofdecreased brown color over standard whole-wheat flour. The meat fillingis a mixture of chicken, fresh vegetables, and binding agents. Toachieve a balance of cost, flavor and fat content, chicken breast andchicken thigh meat were mixed together. Thermally gelling hydroxypropylmethylcellulose is added which activates at approximately 55° C. toprevent blowouts in the microwave. Minimal salt is added for overallflavor enhancement. The broth is a rehydrated dried chicken stockcontaining freeze/thaw stable hydrocolloids for desired consistency.Modified food starch (e.g., agglomerated/cold water-swelling) providesfor most of the viscosity and traditional mouthfeel. Meanwhile, xanthangum contributes the unique Theological property of pseudoplasticity,which gives high viscosity at low shear rates (e.g., before consumption)for good stabilization properties and to immobilize the liquid over awide range of temperatures, yet when consumed does not seem thick andheavy in the mouth. Additionally, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose aids inmoisture migration management and is stable to freeze/thaw abuse. Flakedfreeze dried vegetables are also added to the broth to enhance color andflavor.

By way of a non-limiting example, the nutritional profile of chickennoodle bites can include, without limitation, the followingcharacteristics: (1) low fat (e.g., 3 g or less per reference amount);(2) saturated fat free (e.g., less than 0.5 g saturated fat and lessthan 0.5 g trans fatty acids per reference amount and per labeledserving); (3) high” “rich in” or “excellent source of” vitamin A (e.g.,contains 20% of the Daily Value (DV)); (4) good source of,” “contains,”or “provides” dietary fiber (e.g., 10%-19% of the DV per referenceamount); and (5) “an excellent source of” omega-3 EPA and DHA (e.g., 32mg per serving).

Two consumer sensory tests were conducted, the results of which werehelpful in perfecting formulation and marketing strategy. Early in theproduct development process, a preliminary affective sensory test wasconducted with 47 panelists using a 9 point hedonic scale to establishthe product's acceptability against a leading frozen snack food, i.e.,TOTINO'S™ Pizza Rolls. In all categories (e.g., appearance, aroma,flavor, texture and overall taste), chicken noodle bites scored within 1point of the TOTINO'S™ Pizza Rolls, showing no statistically significantdifference. Over seventy percent of panelists thought that the productproduced in accordance with the present invention lived up to thepromises made in the concept statement. Next, a consumer focus group wasconducted with ten 13-19 year olds, at that time the anticipated targetmarket. While the results where overwhelmingly positive (e.g., includingthe inability to distinguish between samples with and without omega-3fatty acids), valuable insight was gained into the frozen snack foodmarket that led to the redefinition of the target market to a broaderadult category. The panelists stated that, while they might have a sayin what was stocked in their freezer at home, it was their mothers whopicked out and purchased the food for the family.

During freezing, water in the chicken noodle bites changes phase fromliquid to ice crystals, which lowers the water activity. Shelf life isdramatically increased as deterioration by enzymatic and microbiologicalactivity is effectively halted. Unfortunately, there is potential forphysical deterioration associated with frozen food storage, whichincludes cellular damage due to ice crystal growth and sublimation ofsurface ice (e.g., freezer burn). These effects are minimized by fastfreezing in an IQF tunnel freezer, where rapid nucleation forms numerousuniform ice crystals throughout the product. These small crystals resistlarge crystal formation and the mechanical damage associated with slowfreezing. Despite proper freezing and storage in the processingfacility, these conditions will eventually develop during thawing andrefreezing in distribution, retail storage, and home use. Thus, toevaluate stability over these freeze/thaw cycles, the chicken noodlebites were subjected to an environmental test chamber and inspected forsigns of freezer burn which included external dryness, off-color, andoff flavors. From this testing, the estimated maximum allowable storagetime was determined to be one year in the warehouse or six months inhome freezers.

The description of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and,thus, variations that do not depart from the gist of the invention areintended to be within the scope of the invention. Such variations arenot to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1. A microwavable foodstuff, comprising: a pasta shell having at leastone open end; a mixture of a high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff disposed through the at least one open end within an interiorspace of the pasta shell; and a broth foodstuff disposed through the atleast one open end within and substantially enveloped by the mixture ofthe high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff.
 2. The inventionaccording to claim 1, further comprising a hydrocolloid incorporatedinto any of the mixture of a high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff or the broth foodstuff.
 3. The invention according to claim 2,wherein the hydrocolloid comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of agar, alginate, arabinoxylan, carrageenan, carboxymethylcellulose, cellulose, curdian, gelatin, gellan, β-glucan, guar gum, gumarabic, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, locust bean gum, pectin, starch,xanthan gum, and combinations thereof.
 4. The invention according toclaim 1, wherein the pasta shell is substantially cylindrical.
 5. Theinvention according to claim 1, wherein the pasta shell is extruded. 6.The invention according to claim 1, wherein the high protein foodstuffcomprises a material selected from the group consisting of beef, pork,lamb, chicken, turkey, goose, duck, fish, shrimp, crab, lobster,oysters, mussels, clams, soy, bean curd, and combinations thereof. 7.The invention according to claim 1, wherein the vegetable foodstuffcomprises a material selected from the group consisting of celery,carrot, onion, and combinations thereof.
 8. The invention according toclaim 1, wherein the mixture of the high protein foodstuff and thevegetable foodstuff is extruded into the interior space of the pastashell.
 9. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the brothfoodstuff comprises a material selected from the group consisting ofbroth, soup, potage, gumbo, consommé, bouillabaisse, bisque, chowder,and combinations thereof.
 10. The invention according to claim 1,wherein the broth foodstuff is extruded into and substantially envelopedby the extruded mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff.
 11. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the mixtureof the high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff is present in aratio of approximately 2:1.
 12. The invention according to claim 1,wherein the mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff and the broth foodstuff occupies approximately 75% of aninterior volume of the pasta shell.
 13. The invention according to claim1, wherein the at least one open end of the pasta shell is closed afterthe high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff and the brothfoodstuff has been disposed within the interior space of the pastashell.
 14. The invention according to claim 1, wherein the pasta shell,the mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff, andthe broth foodstuff are present in a weight ratio of approximately2:4:1.
 15. A microwavable foodstuff, comprising: a pasta shell having atleast one open end; a mixture of a high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff disposed through the at least one open end within an interiorspace of the pasta shell; a broth foodstuff disposed through the atleast one open end within and substantially enveloped by the mixture ofthe high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff; and a hydrocolloidincorporated into any of the mixture of a high protein foodstuff andvegetable foodstuff or the broth foodstuff.
 16. The invention accordingto claim 15, wherein the hydrocolloid comprises a material selected fromthe group consisting of agar, alginate, arabinoxylan, carrageenan,carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose, curdian, gelatin, gellan, β-glucan,guar gum, gum arabic, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, locust bean gum,pectin, starch, xanthan gum, and combinations thereof.
 17. The inventionaccording to claim 15, wherein the pasta shell is substantiallycylindrical.
 18. The invention according to claim 15, wherein the pastashell is extruded.
 19. The invention according to claim 15, wherein thehigh protein foodstuff comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, goose, duck, fish,shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, mussels, clams, soy, bean curd, andcombinations thereof.
 20. The invention according to claim 15, whereinthe vegetable foodstuff comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of celery, carrot, onion, and combinations thereof.
 21. Theinvention according to claim 15, wherein the mixture of the high proteinfoodstuff and the vegetable foodstuff is extruded into the interiorspace of the pasta shell.
 22. The invention according to claim 15,wherein the broth foodstuff comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of broth, soup, potage, gumbo, consommé, bouillabaisse,bisque, chowder, and combinations thereof.
 23. The invention accordingto claim 15, wherein the broth foodstuff is extruded into andsubstantially enveloped by the extruded mixture of the high proteinfoodstuff and vegetable foodstuff.
 24. The invention according to claim15, wherein the mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff is present in a ratio of approximately 2:1.
 25. The inventionaccording to claim 15, wherein the mixture of the high protein foodstuffand vegetable foodstuff and the broth foodstuff occupies approximately75% of an interior volume of the pasta shell.
 26. The inventionaccording to claim 15, wherein the at least one open end of the pastashell is closed after the high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuffand the broth foodstuff has been disposed within the interior space ofthe pasta shell.
 27. The invention according to claim 15, wherein thepasta shell, the mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff, and the broth foodstuff are present in a weight ratio ofapproximately 2:4:1.
 28. A microwavable foodstuff, comprising: a pastashell having at least one open end; a mixture of a high proteinfoodstuff and vegetable foodstuff disposed through the at least one openend within an interior space of the pasta shell; wherein the highprotein foodstuff comprises a material selected from the groupconsisting of beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, goose, duck, fish,shrimp, crab, lobster, oysters, mussels, clams, soy, bean curd, andcombinations thereof; wherein the vegetable foodstuff comprises amaterial selected from the group consisting of celery, carrot, onion,and combinations thereof; a broth foodstuff disposed through the atleast one open end within and substantially enveloped by the mixture ofthe high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff; wherein the brothfoodstuff comprises a material selected from the group consisting ofbroth, soup, potage, gumbo, consommé, bouillabaisse, bisque, chowder,and combinations thereof; and a hydrocolloid incorporated into any ofthe mixture of a high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuff or thebroth foodstuff; wherein the hydrocolloid comprises a material selectedfrom the group consisting of agar, alginate, arabinoxylan, carrageenan,carboxymethyl cellulose, cellulose, curdian, gelatin, gellan, O-glucan,guar gum, gum arabic, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, locust bean gum,pectin, starch, xanthan gum, and combinations thereof.
 29. The inventionaccording to claim 28, wherein the pasta shell is substantiallycylindrical.
 30. The invention according to claim 28, wherein the pastashell is extruded.
 31. The invention according to claim 28, wherein themixture of the high protein foodstuff and the vegetable foodstuff isextruded into the interior space of the pasta shell.
 32. The inventionaccording to claim 28, wherein the broth foodstuff is extruded into andsubstantially enveloped by the extruded mixture of the high proteinfoodstuff and vegetable foodstuff.
 33. The invention according to claim28, wherein the mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff is present in a ratio of approximately 2:1.
 34. The inventionaccording to claim 28, wherein the mixture of the high protein foodstuffand vegetable foodstuff and the broth foodstuff occupies approximately75% of an interior volume of the pasta shell.
 35. The inventionaccording to claim 28, wherein the at least one open end of the pastashell is closed after the high protein foodstuff and vegetable foodstuffand the broth foodstuff has been disposed within the interior space ofthe pasta shell.
 36. The invention according to claim 28, wherein thepasta shell, the mixture of the high protein foodstuff and vegetablefoodstuff, and the broth foodstuff are present in a weight ratio ofapproximately 2:4:1.